Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, has acquired the US Food and Drug Administration’s “breakthrough device” designation for its experimental implant, Blindsight.
The gadget, known as ‘Blindsight,’ is intended to restore vision to people who are completely or partially blind, including those who have non-functional optic nerves.
“We have received breakthrough device designation from the FDA for blindsight.
“Join us in our quest to bring back sight to those who have lost it. Apply to our patient registry and openings on our career page,” Neuralink wrote on its X page on Tuesday.
According to Reuters, the FDA grants breakthrough designation to medical devices that treat or diagnose life-threatening conditions, accelerating development and review.
Musk announced the update on his X social media platform, emphasising blindsight’s potential to restore vision in severe cases.
“The Blindsight device from Neuralink will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see.
“Provided the visual cortex is intact, it will even enable those who have been blind from birth to see for the first time.
“To set expectations correctly, the vision will at first be low resolution, like Atari graphics, but eventually it has the potential to be better than natural vision and enable you to see in infrared, ultraviolet, or even radar wavelengths, like Geordi La Forge,” Musk wrote on X.
Neuralink, co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016, specialises in developing innovative brain-computer interfaces to transform treatments for neurological disorders.
Their technology includes a brain implant that reads neural signals and wirelessly transmits them to external devices, including computers and mobile devices.
According to Business World, Neuralink is also developing an implant that allows paralysed individuals to control digital devices with their thoughts.
According to reports, the Neuralink’s brain-computer interface was successfully implanted in a second patient, August 2024, who is now controlling video games and creating 3D designs using only their thoughts.
